Path of the Warrior
by Ralf Jones
Summary: -Fire Emblem Awakening AU- "Life can be cruel sometimes...he knows that" BasilioxLucina centric COMPLETE!.
1. Path of the Warrior

**Path of the Warrior**

For a warrior there's no time for regrets…

The path of the warrior holds only one truth…

Life is too short…too fragile…

It was because of that one truth that most of his youth was expended in training, getting stronger, faster and more powerful. It was shortly after turning fourteen that he finally decided what kind of weapon he would use…

Swords were too simple, too easy to use…

Spears were great, but he was not really a fan of using them…

But the axes, they were perfect for him, allowing him to put more power in each blow in exchange for lower accuracy.

By the age of sixteen he was already working as mercenary taking jobs from wealthy patrons, the pay was good, and the jobs were very challenging…

Protecting VIPs…

Escorting merchants…

And of course, killing bandits…

By the time he was eighteen, his skills were known throughout Ferox, the mercenary that could cut a jug of water without spilling it or breaking the jug…using an axe. He was also famous for going wild during battle, not like a berserker of course, but he loved the fight…

Then again, every warrior born in Ferox loved to fight…

He was alone then, most of his comrades, those who where still alive, married and settled down…but not him, he had no time for such things, no time to waste looking for a woman that was both beautiful and strong…

It was at the age of twenty-two that the most important event of his life took place…

After the death of the previous King, the tournament to choose the future king or queen of west Ferox finally took place, and every man and woman who followed the path of the warrior was there to seize victory or die trying.

But in the end they were nothing more than pushovers…well, that was until the final round of the tournament…

His opponent was a notorious mercenary going by the name of Gregor…

He didn't look like much, standing still with a calm smile on his face, but, once the battle started things quickly changed…

Gregor turned out to be a terrifying opponent, his sword clashing against the axe he was using with incredible strength.

The battle ended in a draw, both man were too injured to fight, however Gregor had no interest in becoming king, and so in the end victory was his…

An important lesson was learned that day…

Don't judge a book for its cover…

And the price for such mistake was his left eye…

xxxxxx

It was soon after becoming a king the he realized how dull his new life was…

Most of his freedom was gone; he was busy learning about politics, talking about the needs of his people and the defense of the kingdom…

When he is twenty-eight, the king of east Ferox finally succumbs to his illness, and like the tradition dictates a tournament is held to choose his successor…

The winner is a woman named Flavia, a little younger than him, but strong and brave nonetheless…

"So, you are the King of West Ferox huh?" the mocking tone in her voice is quite evident…

"You sound surprised" he answers dryly; it was painfully obvious that they would not get along well…

A sarcastic smile spreads across her lips "Well, I was expecting someone stronger or at least more royal looking…"

And he returns her smile "What a coincidence, so was I…"

That day he made a great friend and rival…

xxxxxx

Life can be cruel sometimes…

He knows that…

At the age of thirty-nine he finally meets her…

The woman who is both strong and beautiful, even more, she's kind and has a strong sense of justice…

The only problem is that…she's not a woman…

She's only a girl; old enough to be his daughter, the difference between then is too great…

And there's nothing he can do…

However there is no time for such things, they are in the middle of the most important battle of their lives…

The fate of the whole world is in their hands…

Still…she's beautiful…very beautiful

…

Sometimes life can be cruel…

He knows that…

But there is no time for such things…

The giant in red armor awaits him…

And he was a King, he would not keep his future opponent waiting...

* * *

**As you can see, I have a new OTP…**

**Those who are already aware of what happens in the game know who is the protagonist of this fic and also know who the girl is, I avoided the use of his name, not because of the spoilers, no, its because I'm waiting for the localization of his name in the NOA release…**

**I was just guessing his age, but his supports with Flavia reveal that he is the oldest in the army, so it was not hard to come up with a number. Almost everything in this short piece is original, with the exception of his battle with Gregor (Lon'quxGregor support C) and the fact that he can cut a jug of water without breaking it (Lon'quxOlivia support).**

**I not sure if I should add another chapter…**

**Please tell me what you think… **


	2. I am

**I am…**

It's night out, the camp is almost deserted, everybody is resting in their tents, well, except for those keeping watch…

He's sitting by the dying fire…

However, that night he is not alone, his rival sits across from him, staring quietly into the fading embers…

"What's wrong?" he asks "It's not like you to be this quiet".

The east Khan pays no attention to his words, the blank expression on her face betraying no emotion.

"Are you going to give it a shot?" her sudden question takes him by surprise "If you really like her, you should say something".

A small chuckle escapes him "What's gotten into you all of the sudden, saying stuff like that out of nowhere".

Her gaze turns to him, staring quietly, waiting for a serious answer…

She was not a fool, of course she would not fall for that pathetic excuse to dodge her question…

With a defeated sigh he leans forward, resting both elbows on his knees, his gaze turning to what remains of the fire "No, It will be better to leave things as they are…" a sad laugh follows those words "I can't change the fact that I'm old enough to be her father, you said that yourself".

There's a moment of silence between them…

"Then you really are a fool, giving up without even trying…" the anger in her voice is apparent, still, he does not meet her gaze "You could die tomorrow in the battlefield, why give up for such a stupid reason?, at least the one you like is still single…"

And finally, at long last, the fire was no more…

xxxxxx

He feels the cold rain on his face…

The cold wind on his body…

He lies defeated, wounded and probably dying…

Still, he can only bring herself to stare up to the grey sky, watching the rain fall…

He has no regrets, he fought with all his strength and after many years he was finally bested…

There was nothing else to do…

"Get up…"

A soft voice reaches him…

She's there, standing by his side, staring down at him with those beautiful blue eyes…

Somehow, he brings himself to smile…

She's not real…

The rain still falls, but she remains dry…

She's nothing more than an illusion…

"You have to get up…"

But, her voice sounds just like her real self…

"Flavia was right…" he says with a painful chuckle "I should have said something to you…" and for a moment he is silent "…It is too late now…I really messed up".

And she smiles…

But there are tears in her eyes…

"It's not too late…please get up!"

He remains silent, transfixed by her tears…

Even if she's an illusion, it is painful to see her cry…

"Why are you crying?" he asks, even though he already knows the answer "It is because of me?"

She stays silent…

"All right" he says, slowly moving, the pain shoots throughout his body but that is not enough to stop him "If those tears are because of me…then you will never have to cry for my sake again".

And by the force of his will, wounded and tired, Khan Basilio rose to his feet again…

And she's gone…

Only the rain and the wind keep him company…

xxxxxx

He finds her one day...

She's helping the soldiers move the supply boxes, he surprised to see her lift such heavy load all by herself…

"Well, I see you are quite busy" he says playfully…

She stops for a moment, surprised to see him "K-Khan Basilio, good day!" she says, a pretty smile on her lips.

The warrior steps towards her "Why is a little lady like you carrying such heavy boxes?" with a quick move he takes the box from her arms, easily lifting the box and resting it on one broad shoulder.

She takes no offence by his words, instead turns around and picks up another box "I like to help" she turns once more and smiles to him "Besides, unlike most of the female soldiers, I'm pretty confident in my physical strength".

The Khan laughs loudly "Confident huh?" he says, a smirk spreading across his lips "Then how about a little competition? Let's see who can carry the most boxes to the carriages".

She nods and smiles…

However, for a moment, for a brief, he is lost in those blue orbs…

And that kind smile…

Life is cruel like that…

"Khan Basilio?" her soft voice reaches him snapping him out of his thoughts "Are you all right?"

This was the moment…

He could tell her right there how he felt…

But that was not possible…

She was old enough to be his daughter, in due time, she would find happiness with a young man…

And he was nothing more than an old warrior, a man who had dedicated his life to training and battle, leaving no time for a wife or a family…

It was too late now…

In the end he remains silent...

He turns a nods quickly to her "Don't worry…" he says "I am all right".

No time for regrets…

It was too late now…


	3. Pair up

**Pair up…**

Another day, another battle…

The sun shines brightly up in the sky...

And…over the green plains the fierce battle takes place…

The cursed risen once again come to attack…

The clash of steel and the cries of battle echo throughout the battlefield…

And Basilio is enjoying every minute of it…

A jump back barely gets him out of the way of a silver sword's deadly swing; the risen paladin turns his horse around to rush the warrior again, giving him no time to regain his footing.

Basilio welcomes the challenge…

He sidesteps to the right moving out of the horse's path, the risen paladin swings his sword but Basilio moves faster, his silver axe cleaves through the paladin's sword arm, the creature growls in anger, but the axe quickly puts an end to his growling…

Now without its rider the horse escapes, the body hits the ground with a metallic clank, before quickly disappearing, melting away in a cloud of darkness…

No time to rest…

A risen sword master moves from his left, taking advantage of his blind spot, still, Basilio is well aware of the attack and quickly turns to face the creature, however…a steel lance through the chest stops the attack…

The risen falls, quickly disappearing like the one before…

She smiles, easily spinning her lance in one hand before stabbing the weapon in the ground at her side…

"Khan Basilio, are you all right?"

The warrior smiles and nods "I'm fine, thanks for the help" resting his silver axe on his shoulder he moves towards her…

"It's strange to see you fight with a lance" he nods towards her weapon before turning back to see the ongoing battle.

"I know, but father told me that it would be better If I leaned to use another weapon" she retrieves her weapon as Basilio stops at her side…

A savage roar breaks their conversation…

A huge risen Berserker approaches them…

And before she can move, Basilio rushes to meet the new challenger...

The risen wastes no time throwing a wild swing, but Basilio easily sidesteps the attack moving in and delivering a powerful swing…however, the berserker moves quickly, stepping back to avoid Basilio's attack while bringing its axe from above, with the firm intent of cleaving the warrior's head in half…

"Dual Strike!" and she enters the battle delivering a jumping thrust with her steel lance, left with no choice the creature moves to the side stopping its previous attack on Basilio…

She jumps back to land beside Basilio, never losing her fighting stance "Khan Basilio, I will be your back up!"

The warrior nods in thanks, never looking away from the risen "Let's end this!"

Once again Basilio takes the lead, rushing to meet the berserker and the creature is ready for him doing a wild vertical swing, Basilio easily sidesteps de attack letting the killer axe strike the grass covered ground…

The timing is flawless…

She moves fast, rushing from the side with a strong thrust of her lance; the deadly tip pierces the side of the risen, the monster howls angrily but the fight is already over…

Basilio delivers a mighty swing with his silver axe; the silver edge easily cuts through the rotten flesh…the risen falls torn from the waist up…

Resting his silver axe on his shoulder, Basilio turns to her "Well, that is over" a confident smirk spreads across his lips "Let's go look for more enemies".

She nods "All right, but please be more careful" he loves it; he loves the kindness in her voice, in her eyes…

And Basilio lets out a loud laugh "Well, since a beautiful lady is asking, I can't refuse!"

Sure enough, she blushes; her pale cheeks take a lovely pink color…

"P-Please don't say things like that all of the sudden!"

"Well, if a beautiful lady doesn't want to be called beautiful, I will do my best to hold myself back!"

And the pink on her cheeks turns into a deeper shade of red…

"L-Lord Basilio!" she shrieks, obviously embarrassed…

And his boisterous laugh echoes throughout the battlefield…


	4. Friendly Sparring

**Friendly sparring**

"Khan Basilio…I have a request for you"

That familiar soft voice immediately grabs his attention; she's standing behind him, smiling kindly, hands hidden behind her back.

"Oh…and what request would that be?" the playfulness in his voice is pretty evident; somehow, he has a good idea of what her request will be…

"I request a sparring match…" and with those words she reveals the two wooden training swords that she had been hiding…

A wild smile spreads across Basilio's lips "Oh…are you sure?" he was in quite the good mood, and a sparring match was definitely a great way to end the day "I will not hold back".

She nods quickly still smiling "I have practiced numerous times with my lord father" and the smile turns into a smirk "I will not hold back either" and she raises her hand, offering him one of the swords hilt first.

His roaring laugh echoes throughout the camp "That's the spirit!" he says taking the offered weapon "Let's go to a more open place".

It takes then no time to find the place, a little open area near the camp used by the army as a training field, because of this the field is not empty…

Lon'qu, Sully, Frederick and Say'ri are there…

They were the kind of warriors that always worked hard to perfect their skills, always trying to become stronger…

However, they all moved aside to give the duo enough room for their sparring match, a good warrior can always learn from watching a good fight…

"Well…" says Basilio while taking a look around the field "Looks like we got some public, but no matter, come at me when you are ready!" and then he casually falls into his fighting stance, lowing himself a little to prevent himself from being a big target.

She nods, falling into her fighting stance with practiced ease "Here I go!"

The distance between them amounts to nothing in a matter of seconds, she moves fast, aiming a quick thrust to the unprotected area on his chest, and his reflexes are faster as he easily deflects her attack to the side with little effort "Not good enough!" he says, but she's far from done, using the momentum from the deflected attack she spins around delivering a high swing to his head only to have him move under her attack using his shoulder to push her back, the blow is strong enough to throw her back though she is quite aware that he did not intent to seriously hit her…

It becomes painfully obvious that he has her beat in strength, so she will have to use her speed to out maneuver him and beat him…

Once more she rushes towards him…

However, this time, she takes him by surprise throwing her wooden sword high in the air, before vaulting over the warrior, she's sure she has taken him by surprise, she skillfully catches the falling sword before spinning around to deliver a swing across Basilio's back…

CLANK!

Basilio smirks "I think you're underestimating my speed" he says looking at the wooden sword still pressed against his golden gauntlet "Still that was an excellent move, almost got me there!"

And suddenly he raises his sword over his head before delivering a savage vertical swing slamming his sword to the ground, she reacts almost instantly by jumping back to avoid the attack, however, she's not fast enough, a huge hand takes hold of her sword arm stopping her escape for the second swing…

The attack never comes…

Basilio smiles letting go of her arm and throwing aside the wooden sword "Well, that was a great match!"

Defeated, she returns his smile, also putting her sword aside "Indeed, I was easily beaten" to her words the warrior shakes his head slowly "It was not easy, a battle between masters usually ends after a few blows"

She nods quickly "I thank you for your kind words and for the sparring match".

A small laugh escapes him "No problem little lady, it was my pleasure!"


	5. Lucina

**Lucina**

It is said that every man who calls himself a warrior will someday find himself trapped in a moment of weakness. Should this momentary weakness take place during a battle, the death of the warrior will be surely assured.

With that in mind, Basilio trained himself for years; he was not going to be part of those who have died because of a single moment of weakness.

Years of training and battles made him strong…

Years of ruling made him wise, able to control his emotions…

And yet…

All those years and all that experience were useless…

There was no way out of his current situation…

His moment had finally arrived…

She's trapped between his body and a tree, yet she makes no move, her small warm hands resting against his bare chest, he silently curses the fact that his warrior armor leaves his entire chest exposed. Somehow, he's unable to remember how in the world they ended up in this situation…

Still, he can only bring himself to stare at her, mesmerized by her beauty, and gods she was beautiful, her long blue hair moving slowly in the wind, those beautiful blue eyes stared at him with a mix of surprise and wonder.

He likes to think that there's still a chance for him to step back and simply walk away, but that's nothing more than a lie, walking away is no longer an option, not when she's so close, so VERY close…

And in the fading light of the sun, Basilio finally succumbs, and all control is lost…

Her surprised gasp is quickly overtaken by his lips, a fierce passionate kiss that shocks her to her very core…

The taste of her sweet lips drives him wild, big hands take hold of her hips pushing her body closer to his own.

And then, the realization hits him harder than a blow from Walhart himself…

SHE IS KISSING HIM BACK…

Eyes closed and hands balled into fists against his skin, she moans against his lips encouraging him to deepen the kiss…

He knows that it is wrong…

He knows that she deserves better…

But he's weak…

The taste of her mouth is even sweeter…

However, the kiss cannot last forever, they break apart to recover their breaths…

There's silence…

She can only bring herself to stare at him shyly, gasping for breath, pale cheeks flushed deep red, blue eyes shining with a great number of emotions…

There's something more…

Something has changed…

Things will never be the same…

And this time she is the one to move…

Slowly her arms go around his neck lowering him to her level, he lets her do as she pleases, too lost in his feelings…

"Basilio…" his name comes out barely above a whisper as her lips take his own…

He returns the kiss of course…

There's no point in fighting against his feelings…

No point in listening to the part of his mind screaming to him, reminding him that she is the future daughter of his friend and ally, that she is old enough to be his daughter…

No point in hating himself for enjoying the moment, the warmth of her body, the taste of her lips…

He is weak…

She deserves better…

But none of that matters…

Not when he is holding her in his arms…

Not when she is willingly kissing back, her arms around his neck…

"Lucina…"

Nothing else matters…


	6. At war's end

**At war's end**

The final battle draws near…

Grima the destroyer awaits them…

The skies are blood red; the mere presence of such monster changes the very world…

Soon everything will come to an end…

There's fear amongst the soldiers, the fear of failing and leaving the world to be destroyed by the cursed dragon…

But fear is nothing to him…

A lifetime of battles prepared him for this moment, the most important of all his battles. He was not going to lose, he would never lose…

Still, it is only now, mere hours before of the battle that he takes note of the beauty of the land, the beauty of the sun sinking down in the horizon covering the red sky with a hint of gold…

And then she's there by his side, long blue hair moving slowly with the gentle breeze, but her blue eyes are focused not in the awe inspiring beauty of the sunset, no, those beautiful blue orbs are staring directly at him…

And yet, no one says a word…

She had told him once before that she enjoys spending time with him, even if not a single word is spoken. Many nights were spend watching the night sky, the beauty of the moon and the countless stars.

True to be told, for him, the moon and the stars were nothing, not when she was so much more beautiful that everything else.

But this time…

This time he has something to say…

"Lucina…" he says turning to face her, the young woman gazes at him with contented smile "When this war is over…lets get married".

She blushes prettily, but the smile never leaves her lips "Basilio…" the whisper of his name is lost in the wind…

"I know that there will be many obstacles, but I will face everything and everyone for the right to your hand!" there's confidence in those words; Lucina knows that he would go to the ends of the world for her.

"You don't have to give me your answer now, I will wait"

And she smiles, that beautiful bright smile that he loves so much, small hands take hold of his face gently lowering him towards her…

"After the war then, you will have my answer…" she whispers before their lips melt in a soft kiss. This time however Basilio is in control, the taste of her mouth is sweet but the fact that she will (probably) be his wife is enough for him…

A surprised gasp escapes her when Basilio easily lift her high in the air, a broad smile on his lips that soon turns into loud laughter "Just you wait, we will have a lot of fun you and I!"

She smiles and laughs as he spins her around…

She remembers those days of darkness in her time, living in hiding, barely surviving the merciless attacks of the Grimleal…

So much pain…

So much sorrow…

Still, there were times of quiet peace, the nights when her aunt Lissa would tell her stories about her father, mother and other great heroes. The great Khan Basilio who fell against the terrible Walhart before Grima was reborn, a titan of the army, his death left a void that no one else could fill, her aunt Lissa told her many times that if Basilio were still alive perhaps her father and many others could have been saved.

And after all, the past was changed…

Many unexpected allies join them for the final battle, the fallen king Gangrel and even the great Walhart are now their allies…

And Basilio is alive, the hero, the man…

The very man that loves her, the man the she had grown to love over the course of the war, the man that wants to marry her, take her as his wife so they can be together forever…

The final battle is at hand…

And the feeling is almost bittersweet…

xxxxxx

The war is over…

Grima is dead…

The world has been saved…

All traces of evil, risen and such are gone…

And so is she…

Sweet Lucina left in the middle of the night without a word or letter of goodbye…

Sometime later Chrom took a moment to speak with him in private, he spoke about his daughter, her fears of not being accepted because she was not his real daughter "I told her that we loved her, no matter what, still, I think she was not so sure" the bitterness in the young man's words was evident.

But Basilio knew better, it was not a matter of being truly loved by her parents, no, saving the world was her mission, it was never in her plans to remain with her family…

She was a savior…

And the world was safe…

And so Basilio spends all his time training with Lon'qu so he can beat Flavia's champion on the next tournament, but he knows that she will surely ask for Chrom to be her champion. Recovering the sit of the ruling khan will surely prove difficult…

Still, he likes to think that wherever she is…she is thinking about him...

Then again he was too old for such things…


End file.
